California Weekly Roundup: July 6, 2015Medical cannabis news and events from around the state

July 06, 2015 | Don Duncan

This may be your last chance to email Governor Brown and ask him to sign the Medical Cannabis Organ Transplant Act (AB 258). Patients who legally use medical cannabis in California are routinely denied a place on the national organ transplant wait list. Some have died as a result. AB 258 will end this discrimination and save lives. The Governor has until Wednesday to sign or veto the bill – so don’t wait. Speak up now!

Are you one of the 900 people who have already signed the petition or sent a post card to the Governor? Thank you! Can you get someone else to sign today? Share the link with your email list and on social media.

Check out the California Weekly Roundup for Monday, July 6, 2015, for medical cannabis news – including articles about how the media misunderstands (and misrepresents) medical cannabis research, the latest on cannabis cultivation and environmental damage, news on the raids in the Island Mountain area of the Emerald Triangle, and much more. And get all the details about four legislative hearings coming up in Sacramento this week.

July 7, 2015 – Assembly Business and Professions Committee Hearing on SB 643 (Sacramento)9:00 AM in Room 447 in the State Capitol Building in Sacramento, CA. The committee will hear testimony and vote on SB 643 (McGuire), which would establish an office within the Department of Consumer Affairs to license and regulate dispensing facilities, cultivation sites, transporters, and manufacturers of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products, subject to local ordinances. ASA supports the bill, but will be suggesting amendments. You can send your comments to the committee at http://abp.assembly.ca.gov Read more about the bill and download fact sheet at http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation

---July 7, 2014 – Senate Governance and Finance Committee Hearing on AB 243 (Sacramento)9:30 AM in Room 112 in the State Capitol Building in Sacramento, CA. The committee will hear testimony and vote on AB 243 (Wood), which would require most medical cannabis cultivators to obtain a permit from their local government, law enforcement, or a state agency designated by the Governor. The bill also imposes additional restrictions, including limits on the number of plants that can be cultivated under certain circumstances. Finally AB 243 imposes a new tax on medical cannabis plants. ASA opposes the bill. You can send your comments to the committee at http://sgf.senate.ca.gov Read more about the bill and download fact sheet at http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation

---July, 8, 2015 – Senate Health Committee Hearing on AB 266 (Sacramento)1:30 PM in Room 4203 in the State Capitol Building in Sacramento, CA. The committee will hear testimony and vote on AB 266 (Bonta), which will create state licensing and regulations for commercial medical cannabis activity. The bill also makes it unprofessional conduct for a doctor to recommend medical cannabis without an exam and diagnosis. ASA supports the bill, but is seeking important amendments. Send your comments to the committee at http://shea.senate.ca.gov before July 2. Read more about the bill and download a fact sheet at http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation

---July 8, 2015 – Assembly Governmental Organization Committee Hearing on SB 140 (Sacramento)1:30 PM in room #4202 at the State Capitol building in Sacramento, CA. The committee will hear testimony on SB 140 (Leno), a bill that will classify e-cigarettes and vape pens as tobacco products. This may affect where patients can buy and use vape pens containing medical cannabis. ASA has no position on the bill. You can contact the committee with your comments at http://agov.assembly.ca.gov Read more about the bill and download a fact sheets at http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation

---July 14, 2015 – Assembly Public Safety Committee Hearing on SB 443 (Sacramento)9:00 AM in room #126 in the State Capitol Building in Sacramento, CA. The committee will hear testimony on SB 443 (Mitchell), which will reform civil asset forfeiture laws in California. ASA supports the bill. You can send comments to the committee at http://apsf.assembly.ca.gov Read more about the bill and download a fact sheets at http://www.safeaccessnow.org/2015_legislation

The CARERS Act is the most comprehensive piece of federal medical marijuana legislation that has ever been introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate. The bipartisan legislation would remedy the state-federal conflict over medical marijuana laws. The bill would allow state programs to continue without federal inference, move marijuana out of Schedule I, remove CBD from the scheduling, create access to banking services for legal marijuana businesses, end the Public Health service review process and NIDA monopoly that blocks research, and allow VA doctors to write recommendations in states that have a medical marijuana program. Sign the petition to support CARERS today.

The California Legislature has approved AB 258, the Medical Cannabis Organ Transplant Act. The Governor now has 12 days to sign or veto the bill. Will you take a minute right now to ask Governor Brown to sign AB 258 right away?AB 258 prohibits discrimination against medical cannabis patients in the organ transplant process, unless a doctor has determined that medical cannabis use is clinically significant to the transplant process. Medical cannabis patients in California are routinely removed from the organ transplant waiting list if they test positive for cannabis use – even legal doctor-recommended medical cannabis.

Unfortunately, patients, caregivers, and providers are still vulnerable to federal and state arrests, prosecutions, and incarceration. They also suffer pervasive discrimination in employment, child custody, housing, public accommodation, education and medical care.

If you are arrested for a marijuana offense and the prosecutor files charges, you will first face an arraignment, where you will plead guilty or not guilty. If you plead not guilty, you will have various motions hearings and eventually you may go to trial before a jury or judge, and the process may take a significant amount of time.

The “California Weekly Roundup” is a once-a-week email for ASA Members and Friends that focuses on relevant news and important updates, action alerts, meetings and special events. Send items for the California Weekly Roundup to CARoundup@SafeAccessNow.org before 12:00 PM on Friday to be included in Monday's distribution.